William hamilton ferguson



(No Model.)

W. H. FERGUSON.

RAILROAD TRACK CLEANER.

No. 305,911. Patented Sept. 30. 1884.

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\ n-NITED, STATES I WILLIAM HAMILTON FERGUSON, OF NORTHERN PACIFIC JUNCTION, MINN.

RAILROAD-TRACK CLEANER.

SSPBCIPICATIQN forming pan: of Letters Patent No. 305,911, dated September 30, 1884.

Application filed February 4, 1884. (No model.)

- in Railroad-Track Olearers, of which the folg g/ to an engine, H, inside the cab A lowing specification is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being also had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Fig. i is an enlarged detail, of a section of the endless conveyor-belt.

A is a frame or platform mounted upon trucks B 13 adapted to run upon the railroad-track 0. Upon this platform A is arranged a cab, A having a pointed forward end, A At D D are two spouts or conduits attached to the side of the pointed ends A A and leading backward, upward, and outward, and with the forward ends, acf', open and flaring, and their rear ends, a aflfopen.

E is a nose or plow hinged at b to the forward end of the platform A, and adapted to be raised and lowered by a chain or cable, F, so that it may be lowered down until the point 6 is close to the track when in use, or raised up against the ends A A when not in use. Scrapers d d will be attached to the point if to project down between and outside the rails of the tracks to scrape the snow entirely from between the rails and for a short distance away from the outside.

Above the pointed ends A A is a conicalshaped backwardlyslanting hood or dome, A, which will cut through drifts that are deeper than the height of the cab A 0 C are two cone-shaped drums mounted upon shafts e 6 upon the outside of the pointed ends A A, the shafts e e passing through the pointed ends and connected by gearing 9 y this means the cones may both be revolved in the'same direction. Attached to these cones C C are outwardly-extending wings or blades is, armed upon their outer ends with fingers If. The spouts D D are provided with enlarged parts D D, in which fans 1"1 are mounted, the wings or blades of the fans ex tending down into the spouts a short distance, as shown. belts and pulleys r" i to the shafts e e, by which they are driven; but any other suitable means may be employed to operate them.

In the bottoms of the spouts D D at their upper and lower ends, chain pulleys or drums K K are mounted and adapted to carry endless chains or belts K K. These pulleys or drums will be revolved by belts or other means leading from the engine H. The belts K K will be armed at suitable intervals with buckets or slats m, (see Fig. 4,) and will have floors or partitions t between the sides of the belt to prevent the snow dropping through. The lower parts of the spouts D D", beneath the cones C 0 will be hollowed out, as shown at n in Fig. 1, so as to form recesses in which the outer ends of the wings I) will run, and in these depressions will be formed long gratelike slots, in which the fingers h run, so that the wings h may come close to the bed of the depressions. When the cones and fans are set in =motion and the plow run into a snowdrift, the snow will be carried upward by the nose E, and divided by the angular ends A A", and guided upon each side, and caught by the wings h and teeth h and thrown back into the spouts D D, where the blast created by the fans I P will take it andforce it outward through the spouts and throw it off upon either side of the track. The wings h, being revolved very fast, will also aid in producing an air-current to assistin carrying off the snow, while the teeth If break it up and tear it loose, so that the fans can readily act upon it. The endless belts K K*, being revolved The fans are shown connected by at the same time with the cones and fans, will a catch all the snow that is too heavy for the fans to act upon and carry it up and deliver A, having the cab A with Wedgeshaped forward end, A A*, nose E, outwardly-inclining spouts D D, having endless bucket-belts K K running therein, fans 1 I and the revolving cones'O G armed with Wings h and fingers h substantially as and for the purpose K running therein, and the revolving cones specified. 5 O O, armed with wings h and fingers h", substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

j 2; The combination of the inclined platform A, having the cab A with Wedge-shaped forward end, A A, nose E, outwardly-inclining IO spouts D D having endless bucket-belts K In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my I 5 hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

V WILLIA M HAMILTON FERGUSON. Witnesses:

F. A. WATKINS, M. D. MCDONALD. 

